| New Toy Acquired (or Welcome to the 21st Century) |
[Nov. 29th, 2009|08:34 pm] |
So on the way home from my Saturday gigs, I made a quick detour to pick up my latest acquisition...
I decided on the Garmin Nuvi 265WT. It had the features I wanted at a price I could afford. Plus I heard more good things about the Garmin brand than the others.
Spent most of today filling up the address book and inputting all my planned destinations for the upcoming month, business and personal. It should get its first real test this weekend with two visits to Orlando and one to Palm Bay.
(And for those of you in the "Garmin Suxx, TomTom Rulz" camp, you HAD YOUR CHANCE to convince me, but none of you said anything. If you want to complain now, here's a quarter. Call someone who cares.)
Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas to me :) |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 29th, 2009|03:28 pm] |
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Why do you work out? |
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| A children's limerick... |
[Nov. 29th, 2009|03:07 pm] |
Boggis and Bunce and Bean
One fat, one short, one lean
These horrible crooks
So different in looks
Were none the less equally mean.
...yes, it is a good movie, and there's no need to discuss details. Very fun. :) |
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| Rednecks with Money |
[Nov. 29th, 2009|01:36 pm] |
It's true - some people will buy almost anything for charity.
One of my appearances this past weekend was for the David Reutimann Foundation's annual fundraiser dinner/auction/golf tourney (Reutimann being a Sprint Cup NASCAR driver and hometown hero). There were the usual sports memorabilia and charity auction items - signed footballs and photos, golf vacation packages, diamond jewelry, etc. - but being a NASCAR-heavy crowd, there were some rather unique items available as well...
The three items that brought in the most were:
An autographed race-worn fire suit (what the drivers wear) from Tony Stewart - $3,300
A signed game-worn jersey from Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino - $2,600 (By comparison, a signed jersey from Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan sold for only $400)
A cowboy hat from NASCAR legend Richard Petty's personal collection - $2,000
There were fire suits from other drivers as well, plus panels off of various race cars (someone bought the hood from Reutiman's Aaron's race car for $700) and autographed racing helmets, but by far the most unusual item they had was a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue (the rare one), unopened and still in the box, with the box autographed by Ron White of the Blue Collar Comedy tour. Don't remember how much it sold for, tho.
Someone else got a steal of a deal on a Sports Illustrated cover signed by tennis great Roger Federer. The winner scooped it up for $300, but if they decide to re-sell it over in Spain or Germany, they could easily get $2-3K for it. |
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| Streaming |
[Nov. 29th, 2009|01:44 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  thankful | ] |
I usually don't rave about technology - I'm about 5-10 years behind everyone else on mobile devices, computers, and websites. I still haven't joined Facebook or Twitter, and my phone can barely handle text messages. So when Best Buy was offering an Insignia Blu-Ray player a few weeks ago for $99, I bought one years ahead of my internal schedule.
This weekend, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) xydexx is up in NY. Normally, since we watch our NetFlix rentals together, I'm usually stuck pulling something from our collection that I've already seen a dozen times (but I love to show off to guests) when he's away. I was staring at the DVD rack a little despondently when I suddenly remembered: the blu-ray player I bought is NetFlix-enabled. This means that, if you have a NetFlix account and high-speed internet access, you can instantly stream any film NetFlix offers in that format to your TV in HD and stereo.
My DVD library is about 240 titles. NetFlix offers 12,000 instant-streaming titles. No additional fee. Unlimited, repeat viewing. Turn on the tv, connect to NetFlix, press Play - boom, watching a movie. Unlimited streaming access is available for plans as small as $9/month. I will never be at a loss for something to watch again. This is the best $99 I've ever spent on A/V hardware. |
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| Apology |
[Nov. 27th, 2009|03:19 pm] |
I made a post concerning Jace aka Brian Harp, I made a mistake which I want to clarify, I made a rash decision and accused him on not finishing art, he might have done it in the past but come to think of it 8-9 months is not that much of a long time, I'm sure several other artists have been in the same situation
I had communication issues with Jace, I believe he can change and was promised art completion by December, if he can deliver by that date, I think he's worthy of another opportunity. I don't wish to stir up things any longer and I hope those with a grudge can forgive him like I did, from all this I learned that with communication anything can be worked out |
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| Thefts Oh My |
[Nov. 27th, 2009|04:14 pm] |
//I have been informed that the main hosting company blocked this site//
I'm sure plenty of Furries here watch Dragoneer in some way or another, so they already got a warning about this.
This is a follow up with screen shots from the website that is selling masses of stolen porn. This isn't is not %100 furry either, even though thats what it promises.
NSFW
http://www.hardblush.com/wakaba/wakaba.html
NSFW
It has to be your own stuff that you report. If you see something that you know, pass it along to the artist. I didn't see any of the screen caps till today, so I figured the people who haven't seen them their selves wouldn't mind taking a look.
The info on how to contact the site and get your art down is listed at the top of this link.
Remember, just because you don't draw fur-porn doesn't mean you shouldn't take a look. There was plenty of just human chicks from what I saw too.
I'm posting this over on Art Theft too. |
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| Exodite Dragon / Astral Abortion / Capn Buttz Update |
[Nov. 27th, 2009|11:47 am] |
Fishyboner issue fixed. I only thought Fishy was Exo because of the signature and the e-mail I was contacting him through. My most sincere apologies to Fishyboner, whom I know nothing of, but hear only wonderful things from people in this thread.
Previous entries:
http://community.livejournal.com/artists_beware/274295.html
TL;DR:
My fiancée Nica and I commissioned badges from Buttz / Astral/ Exodite back at AnthroCon 09 in early July.
For a while, Buttz was not seen online and said to be having financial and internet troubles.
Got in contact with him and had several conversations about him sending out the badges.
Current situation:
Two weeks ago, he said he sent them out first class, and therefore could not get tracking as he had promised. (This was said to Nica).
I told him that neither Nica nor I had received our badges last and this week.
Buttz said if they had not come in on the 25th, to tell him and he'd issue a refund and send the hi-res scans.
He told me he was worried because he had sent them priority.
I kept asking for the hi-res scans before the fact, so I could have a better look while I waited.
He never did e-mail me the hi-res scans, not even today. No refund was issued on the 25th when I told him.
He did, however, say he was going to send printed versions in the mail via priority on the 27th. (Today, Friday).
( Today, however, when I checked the mail - behold! ) |
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| Because We Know Best. |
[Nov. 28th, 2009|01:13 pm] |
On the subject of H1N1, or anywhere else people are trying to tell me (or the general public) They Know Best and What I Should Do: step off. I've always been really annoyed with people who think they know best, and that everything is always about the safest and lowest-risk course. Bullshit. Life is about risk, and managing that risk intelligently. I see these people on security staffs for conventions, and in amateur radio amongst the people involved in emergency preparedness. My theory is really, they are just getting off on the power-trip more than an honest concert for others.
The line not to cross is where someone tries to substitute their judgment for my own. My favorite example of this was at Further Confusion a few years ago, in the Doubletree hotel. Along the main walkway there was a staircase that led up to a landing that overlooked the space below. A couple of enterprising individuals fashioned a simple fishing rod, with a piece of card in a clothespin at the end, and they were "fishing for furries." And if you managed to jump up and grab the card, you got a prize. Cute.
Well, some jerkoff from FC's security staff (security staffs often being where these types are found) asked them top stop, because he was "worried about someone getting hurt." I suppose that was a remote possibility, but not a realistic one. And anyone who's about to reply to this with, "Well, if someone got hurt, legal liability blah blah blah.." save it. Sometimes fun entails risk. Just living entails risk, and you can't live your life in fear of the worst possible outcome. And unless you never get into a car, which is one of the riskier things you can do, you don't actually subscribe to this notion.
I'm an adult, and I'll make my own choices, thanks. |
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| Video Reviews (11/28/09) |
[Nov. 28th, 2009|03:03 pm] |
Movie: Hairspray (2007)
Review: Back in 2007, I gave a lukewarm review of Jon Waters's original "Hairspray" and was expecting pretty much the same from this 20th-anniversary remake. Imagine my surprise at how much more I enjoyed this version! Gone are the seedy undertones (with the exception of Waters's cameo as a flasher), the shoestring feeling, and even Baltimore (it was filmed in Toronto). They are replaced with recognizable, seasoned pro actors, a crisp plasticized production, and optimism that pings 9.5 on the cheer-o-meter! (OMG, did I just write that?) The songs and dances are mixed and mashed every which way for an almost constant stream of mostly uptempo numbers that tops the 1988 version. It's a hoot to see Travolta dancing cheek-to-cheek with a very understated Walken, and Pfeiffer does a fantastic Cruella de Vil interpretation. Only a few split hairs, such as Taylor Parks's muted relative performance and Amanda Bynes's dance-preventative wardrobe, mar an otherwise picture-perfect performance.
Rating: ****1/2 out of *****
Video: American Carny (2008)
Review: You could easily be forgiven for being confused by the content of "American Carny" which is not so much about carnival workers as it is entirely about sideshows, specifically Todd Robbins's own off-broadway sideshow that ran for a few years. The good news is that Robbins is a veritable treasure trove of historical information on the subject matter and is more than happy to share with the viewer at length. While this leads to a significant amount of talking heads, it does involve the purveyors of other active sideshows on the mid-atlantic seaboard, as well as introduces you to a number of working acts and self-made freaks, albeit no true freaks. Some of the acts are ho-hum, such as snake ladies or jumping on crushed glass. Others, such as hanging weights from eyelids or anvils from pierced nipples, are squirm-inducing. By the end of the documentary, it has primarily become a biopic about Robbins which, while mildly interesting, goes a bit off track by covering his romantic life. It's somewhat unfocused, but probably the best non-fiction film regarding the dying art of the sideshow out there.
Rating: ***1/2 out of *****
Movie: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)
Review: Perhaps I'm just misinterpreting the story, but am I supposed to be endeared to Benjamin Button, who has affairs with multiple married women, abandons his partner and child, and only comes back when he needs to be taken care of? The performance and production of this nearly three-hour feature is certainly excellent, and I was willing to accept his luring women to infidelity as a romanticized character trait, but when the protagonist completly fails to learn one of the film's primary lessons, failing to take responsibility for his child in the same way his father did, I really started to dislike him. It really doesn't help that the film primarily focused on the exhaustive romances and trysts of a rather dull individual with the only mildly-interesting trait of aging backwards whose adventures are brushed by with little more mention than in a postcard. It felt much more like a watered-down "Forrest Gump" crossed with Pitt's earlier and much more enjoyable epic drama "Meet Joe Black". Pitt's Death certainly wandered the corridors of this film, with a body count rivaling many horror outings I've seen. If you're interested in great acting and production values, make yourself comfortable, but be sure to bring a caffienated beverage to stay awake.
Rating: ** out of *****
Next: Powerpuff Girls (Season 5), Battlestar Galactica (Season 4), The Valet, Bug
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| pixel art: anyone interested in collaborating on stuff for future LS iPhone games? |
[Nov. 28th, 2009|07:01 pm] |
When we did GR++ years ago we had quite a few contributions of sprite art done by interested people.
I think it'd be kinda cool to do the same kind of thing again, and now that my iPhone game engine is taking shape nicely it could be cool to do some stuff that could be useful in that.
What I propose is a kind of collaborative project that interested pixel-pushing types could join in.
The basic idea is to extract all the sprites from existing Llamasoft games, and produce nicer versions more suited to these RGBA days.
Got a particular favourite LS game you'd like to see updated? Bung me a particularly awesome set of updated sprites for it and I'd find it hard to resist using them.
The eventual goal would be to have updated versions of all the LS sprites enabling me to do nice-looking versions of all the old games, but I'll also be doing plenty of new stuff, so original submissions would be cool too.
Of course we couldn't actually pay anyone for anything. As the most overworked and underpaid people in the biz we can barely afford sheep food let alone having anything left over to give to anyone else. If by some miracle of randomness one of our titles went fart-app-gold and turned us into undeserving millionaires then of course we'd bung a few quid to those that helped, but we certainly can't offer any guarantees of any payment. You'd be doing it for the glory of a credit in a game, plus of course access to alphas/betas/test etc if you want it/have the necessary hardware for it.
anyone interested?
maybe we could start up one of those google wave thingies for it. Seems like the kind of thing that wave might actually be appropriate for. |
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| Well, We Can't Have That |
[Nov. 28th, 2009|01:37 pm] |
AmericaBlog turns us on to one of the stupidest arguments against health care reform yet:... Let's just not pretend, as some healthcare reformers would have us do, that we can easily get more equality without paying the price in efficiency.
Put simply, the healthcare reform bill would make the United States more like western Europe. That may mean more security about healthcare, but it also means that future generations of Americans will likely spend more time enjoying leisure. Because goodness knows efficiency is so very much more important than the health of your workers and their being able to enjoy some leisure time. I mean, it was right there in the Declaration of Independence -- "illness, wage-slavery, and the pursuit of efficiency".
Do any of these people ever look at anything in a way that doesn't involve bottom-line, short-term monetary profit? |
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| Testing the New Palm Pre LJ App |
[Nov. 28th, 2009|12:54 pm] |
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At least with this I can see what I am typing. However I can't post pics without using pixelpipe. Hmmmm |
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